Wikki Tourists, Katsina United Settle for Dramatic eight-goal thriller After Abandoned NPFL Clash

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 25 encounter between Wikki Tourists and Katsina United eventually ended in a thrilling 4–4 draw, after the fixture was initially abandoned and later concluded.

The match, played at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi, was halted following crowd unrest that broke out shortly after Katsina United striker Uche Collins scored his second equaliser to make it 3–3 on Sunday. The disruption led to the replacement of the centre referee, while the Chairman of Katsina United reportedly sustained a head injury. At the time of abandonment, 12 minutes of regulation time remained.

Following the incident, NPFL authorities ordered the remaining minutes to be completed on Monday, allowing the fixture to reach its conclusion.

Wikki Tourists made a fast start, with Mairiga opening the scoring in the 5th minute. Katsina United responded through Uche Collins, who netted the first of his hat-trick in the 20th minute. Jubrin restored Wikki’s lead from the penalty spot in the 27th minute, but Collins struck again in the 35th minute to level the score at 2–2 before halftime.

The hosts regained the advantage in the 53rd minute through Ibrahim, only for Collins to complete his superb hat-trick in the 62nd minute, once again drawing Katsina United level.

When play resumed on Monday, Wikki Tourists capitalised on a defensive lapse in the 75th minute, as a powerful long-range strike beat goalkeeper Hamisu Sa’idu to put the hosts ahead 4–3.

However, Katsina United showed resilience and grabbed a dramatic late equaliser in the 89th minute, benefitting from a defensive error that resulted in an own goal.

The pulsating contest ultimately finished 4–4, with Uche Collins emerging as the standout performer thanks to his hat-trick, while the late own goal secured a valuable away point for Katsina United.

Following the result, Wikki Tourists remain 16th on the NPFL standings with 28 points from 24 matches, while Katsina United sit 10th with 33 points from the same number of games.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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